


Sweetheart, what have you done

by SilentStorm02



Category: Hannibal (2001), The Blacklist (TV), The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-21
Updated: 2016-08-21
Packaged: 2018-07-16 09:43:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7262839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilentStorm02/pseuds/SilentStorm02
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lizzie and Red are on the run after Lizzie has been framed for a crime she didn't commit and he turns to an old friend for help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1 - The escape

"Lizzie! Wake up sweetheart!" Red whispered as he tried to wake his young friend. Dembe was driving for the past three or four hours and now they have reached their destination.

Lizzie woke up startled. "What is it? Where are we?" she asked Red while she tried to distinguish anything through the window, but it was all in vain. It was late in the evening and the rain wouldn't stop falling so she turned to face him. "How long was I asleep?"

"Not very long, about an hour or so. I did not want to wake you, but it is a race against time at this point. We have reached our destination and we have to hurry if we do not want to get caught." Red told her in his low voice. She could tell that he tried not to show any sign of emotion, but Lizzie knew him better than that. She knew this was bad.

"Red, where are we?" she asked him.

"We have reached one of my safe places. From now on, we have to travel by foot for about three miles. Out there, into the woods, someone is waiting to take us away from here. Somewhere safe, somewhere I can protect you. Is that clear?"

Lizzie only shook her head in agreement. Tears were starting to well up in her eyes and she was glad for the darkness. She didn't want him to see her like that, to see her weak. After all that happened, she knew she couldn't stay there anymore, but up until now, she did not realize what was really happening to her. Now she was scared, scared that something might happen to her, that because of her, something might happen to Red. He must have guessed what was going through her mind because he reached out and hugged her tightly.

"I won't let anything happen to you. That I promise." He assured her and he kissed the top of her head. At that point, she couldn't keep her tears back anymore and she let it all out while he returned the hug with an equal force.

"I'm sorry." She whispered as she cried. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this. It's my entire fault. It's – "

"Shh." He tried to calm her. "Lizzie, you did not drag me into anything. I jumped into this madness all by myself. Now, calm down and let me take you away from this mess. Is that ok?" he asked as he cupped her face into his hands and looked into her eyes.

She shook her head again and gave him a small smile.

"Good girl." He whispered as he kissed the top of her head again. He then proceeded to retrieve a small bag from behind him and put it in front of her. "I retrieved some of your things from the motel. I didn't have much time, but you won't need many things anyway. You will have everything you need where we're going."

Lizzie reached into the bag and the first thing she got out was her old teddy bear. She let out a sigh as she felt the rough patch where the fire caught it. "Thank you." She whispered and she put it back into the bag.

Red gave her the most sincere smile, the kind of smile that warmed an entire room. "You are most welcome, Lizzie." He told her and he got hold of the bag. "Now, we must go." He told her and he reached behind her to open the door.

Lizzie drew a fresh breath of air and she got out of the car, followed by Red. As soon as they got out, the cold rain hit them hard in the face. He knocked twice on the top of the car and Dembe took off on the unleveled country road, leaving them alone, in the middle of nowhere.

"Won't Dembe come with us?" Lizzie asked worried. She didn't like the idea of him staying here, alone.

"He'll be joining us later, dear. He just needs to get rid of everything first. Don't worry, in a couple of hours we will be all reunited." He assured her as he motioned for her to take a step forward.

Lizzie covered her head with her hoodie, but it was already too late. Her hair was drenched, and she couldn't do anything about it, but the cold rain still came as a shock every time it hit her.

The pair made their way through the forest. Usually it was an easy task, but the rain and the coldness made it terribly difficult for them. Red was leading the way. He was taking them on a path only known to him and Lizzie wondered how many times he made his way here. How many times he had to run away from everything, not knowing if and when he'll be back.

It took them about an hour and a half to get to the small clearing in the woods. Well, it was not that small since a helicopter was waiting for them there. Their way out.

Lizzie was surprised to see Dembe get out of the aircraft. "See, I told you he'll be joining us." Red told Lizzie as they reached their destination. They were breathing heavily from the effort.

Lizzie just smiled. She was too tired to say anything.

"Dembe, any news about our friends in the FBI?" Red asked the other man as they got inside. To Lizzie's surprise, Dembe was the pilot.

"They're still looking for her and they don't know about you yet. But they are starting to get suspicious." He explained as he took off.

"So it's only a matter of time now before they're on the right track. However, unfortunately for them, we'll be long gone by the time they realize what's going on. "Red told Lizzie and she only smiled. She was soaked, cold and tired. Extremely tired.

"Red?" she started as she put her head on his shoulder.

"Hmm?" was his only response.

"Where are we going exactly?" she asked him as she closed her eyes, but he didn't bother with the answer. He knew she was already asleep.

"Lizzie? Lizzie, sweetheart, wake up!" he whispered again just like before when she fell asleep in the car. She has been sleeping on his shoulder for the past hour and he started to forget that he even had an arm. "Lizzie!" he shook her with his free arm.

Lizzie woke up startled again. For a moment, she didn't know what was going on. Where she was, why she was there and why was she cold. Slowly, it all came back to her. Someone framed her for a crime she didn't commit, but she couldn't prove her innocence so the only thing she could do to not go to jail, was to ask for Red's help. And there she was, who knows where, running away with the fourth most wanted criminal, but somehow she felt safe. She knew he wouldn't let anything happen to her.

"Are we there yet?" she asked, trembling.

"Not yet, sweetheart. We have to change our way of transport, but first, you must change. It's probably too late, but you must get rid of those damned clothes. You have some clothes in your bag. I hope they're not wet. I'll let you change. Please come and join me in the car when you're done. And don't worry about anything. Miss Kaplan will take care of everything here." He told her and he got out of the plane. When she heard the car door open and close, she started removing her clothes.

Lizzie exhaled relieved as she got out of the helicopter. It wasn't raining anymore and the air was warm and pleasant. It was still dark, so she hurried to the car. She presumed that they needed to travel only in the dark. That's what fugitives do, right?

"Lizzie, my dear, I hope you feel better now that you're out of those clothes." Red smiled at her when she got into the car. She noticed that he changed out of his clothes as well. Instead of his usual three-piece suit, he was now wearing a dark blue hoodie and black jeans. In addition, the hat was nowhere to be seen. Red caught her staring at his appearance.

"It's only temporary, Lizzie, so don't get used to it." He grinned mischievously.

Lizzie had to turn away from him for she was starting to blush from being caught openly staring. "When will we get there?" she tried to change the subject.

"It will be morning when we'll get there." He let her get away. "We will board on a private jet in about thirty minutes, so please try not to fall asleep again. I don't like to disturb you from your sleep."

"Sorry about that, I'll try not to sleep this time. "She excused herself. She felt ashamed for doing that to him.

It was a long night for Lizzie and Red. They got on the private jet after a half an hour on the car. Lizzie tried to stay awake on the nine-hour flight, but she still drove off from time to time. Somewhere along the way, she saw Red close his eyes for about thirty seconds. It was only then she realized he must be tired as well. She never saw him sleep before so she was shocked to see him fall asleep, even for a few seconds. She was glad to know he was human after all. That he was not beyond the needs of a normal human being. And he must feel safe around her if he let her see that part of him, the human in him. When he opened his eyes, he seemed exhausted, but it only lasted a few seconds before everything got back to normal. He took hold of the newspaper in front of him and started reading, covering his face from her, hiding again.

After nine long hours, they got out and she noticed they were once again in the middle of nowhere.

"What happens now?" Lizzie asked Red.

"Now we wait for our ride." He told her and then he gave her his big smile.

They didn't have to wait a long time. A black car appeared from nowhere and stopped just in front of them. Red left Lizzie's side and took a step forward towards the car. Suddenly, the driver's door opened and a tall dark man came out.

"Barney!" Red greeted the man with his arms wide open.

"Mr. Reddington!" Barney hugged Red. "It's a pleasure to see you again, sir!"

"Same here, Barney, same here." Red patted the other man on the back and then they separated.

"Dembe, my friend. So good to see you too!" Barney told Dembe and the two men hugged as well.

When the two men parted, Red took hold of Lizzie's elbow and pulled her towards the stranger.

"Barney, this is Elizabeth Keen, a dear friend of mine. Lizzie, this is Barney, an old friend of mine." He introduced them both.

"Nice to finally meet you, Miss Keen." Barney told Lizzie as they shook hands and that made Lizzie think about what did he knew exactly about her.

"Nice to meet you too, Barney, but please call me Elizabeth. Or Liz." She took a pause. "Or Lizzie." She told him, as she looked straight into Red's eyes.

"As you wish, my dear." Barney smiled. "Now, I think we have to get going. The sun will come out soon. And you are expected." He told them as they paced to the car.

Red held open the door for Lizzie to get in as Dembe and Barney got in front of the car.

"Red, where are we?" Lizzie asked him as she got inside.

"Italy, my dear." He told her with a smile and he closed the door.

As soon as Red got inside, Barney drove off on the country road. Lizzie couldn't pay attention to her surroundings. All she wanted to do was listen on what they had to discuss.

"So tell me, Barney, how is the good doctor?" Red asked the driver.

"Oh, the good doctor is blooming every day. That young friend of his is bringing out the best in him. They fit so well together…" Barney informed Red.

"I'm glad to hear that, Barney. "

"He was delighted to hear you were visiting. They both were. They haven't got many friends here."

"I'm happy to see them as well. I just wish the circumstances were different…" Red got serious.

"I'm sure everything will be fine in the end, Sir." Barney assured Red, but he looked at Lizzie in the mirror.

"I'm sure it will be." Red told him.

There was silence for the next thirty minutes until Lizzie broke the silence by whispering to Red. "Red, where are we going? Who is expecting us? Who is this good doctor?" Lizzie was worried. She had a bad feeling about it.

Red smiled at her. "Relax, my dear. Everything will be clear soon. I think you'll even make a friend here." He smiled knowingly.

Lizzie sighed. She knew she wouldn't get anything more out of him. She just had to wait and see what the future will unfold.


	2. Chapter 2

It was light by the time they reached their destination. After what seemed like hours of driving on the unleveled country road, Barney finally stopped the car outside an imposing mansion. Lizzie looked around. There were no other houses around, and she couldn’t remember the last time she spotted one on their way there so she understood why their hosts didn’t have many friends there. All she could see was trees, forests, hills, fields and nothing else. She couldn’t hear anything except for the sound of birds in the nearest forest, which was not so far away. One could say that the house itself was in the woods. Well, the backyard was anyway.

“Red, who lives here?” Lizzie asked the man in front of her as they got out from the car, but she got no response from him. He only smiled and winked at her and then he changed the subject.

“Oh, Lizzie, I suggest you behave during our stay here.” He told her amused.

“Behave? What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“I mean you try to be the best version of yourself. Try not to be too… rude.” He smiled at her and she wondered if he was joking around.

“Ok, then, I’ll try not to embarrass you.” Lizzie told him.

Red looked at her with an amused look on his face. “Don’t do it for me, my dear.”

Lizzie only blinked at him. She didn’t know what was going on and it was infuriating. She was about to inquire about the identity of their hosts when the front door opened and a young woman came out. She stopped just a few steps away from them.

“Red!” she almost yelled and she jumped to embrace the older man. “I’ve missed you so much! It gets so boring around here…”

“My dear Clarice!” he responded and they shared a long hug.

Lizzie only watched the scene in silence. The woman looked familiar to her but she couldn’t remember where she saw her before. Although they were in a different country, it was clear that the woman named Clarice was an American. 

“My dear, there’s someone I want you to meet” Red told the woman. They broke the embrace and they turned to face Lizzie. “Clarice, this is Lizzie. Lizzie, this is Clarice. Clarice Starling”.

Lizzie noticed the spark in his eye when Red introduced the woman and it was only then she remembered. Clarice Starling, the woman who seduced Hannibal the cannibal.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lizzie!” Clarice told Lizzie.

Lizzie only stared and blinked at the woman in front of her. “Hello…” she finally managed to say, still shocked from the discovery.

Clarice must have noticed Lizzie’s shock for she immediately turned her attention to the man responsible for their encounter. “How have you been, Red? We’ve heard rumors that you’re working with the F.B.I, are they true? ” she asked him excitedly. She was longing to speak to someone other than her husband or Barney and she was more excited to hear how things were going at her old work place.

“Well, my dear, there’s always a hinge of truth in rumors, but we’ll get into that later. Now, where is that husband of yours?” Red asked as he placed a hand on her back and started pacing towards the imposing mansion. Lizzie followed blankly while Barney was having a conversation with Dembe. “Is he treating you well?” Red also questioned in a father-like tone. 

Clarice broke into laughter. “But of course!” she told him a bit later. “He’s away with business, but he should be back in a few hours though. He was sad he couldn’t be here to welcome you. ”

“That’s fine, I know he is a busy man. I’m sorry I haven’t been able to visit you sooner.” Red told the woman as he opened the door for her. Instead of going in himself, he waited for Lizzie who was a few steps behind and he just motioned for her to get in.

As she got near him, Lizzie opened her mouth to speak, she had so many questions for him, but he just waved her off and she entered the house. A few moments later, she heard the door close behind her and quickly after, she felt his hot breath on her skin next to her ear. 

“I’ll explain everything later, I promise.” Red whispered just as Clarice turned on her heels to face them and Lizzy blushed when she noticed the spark in the woman’s eye. 

“Red, I’m sure you are all tired from the long journey. Come, I’ll show you to your rooms.” Clarice said and motioned for them to follow her up the stairs. He slowly pushed Lizzy to follow her.

When they finally reached the upper floor, Clarice showed them their rooms that were next to each other. “You both have bathrooms connected to your rooms. Oh and the room at the end of the hallway is our bedroom” Clarice showed them around. “I’ll make sure Barney will also show Dembe to his room.” Clarice informed and she smiled at Red.

“Thank you, my dear!” Red thanked and placed an innocent kiss on her cheek. “Now, if you’ll excuse me ladies, I really could use a shower.” He told them.

Clarice chuckled. “Sure. You’ll find anything you need in there.” She told him and he went away.

Lizzie and Clarice fell silent as they sat in the living room on the upper floor. Moments later, the silence was interrupted by the sound of the shower running.

“You have a lovely house, Clarice.” Lizzie told her and smiled embarrassed. She tried to think of a reason to go to her room.

“Thank you, my dear. We moved in just a few months ago, but it already feels like home.” Clarice happily explained.

Lizzie couldn’t hold her tongue anymore; the curiosity almost killed her. “I’m sorry, Clarice, but I need to know – “she started, but the other woman didn’t let her finish. She only sighed and raised her hand to stop her, but she wasn’t mad, she was only amused.

“I know what you’re going to ask, Lizzie. I saw it in your eyes from the moment Red introduced us in the yard. The answer is ‘yes’, I am indeed that Clarice Starling and although I don’t know what stories are told now at the F.B.I, I assure you that most of them are false.” Clarice explained friendly.

“So you and… I mean he didn’t – “Lizzie tried, but suddenly she couldn’t put two words together.

Clarice only chuckled. “Did Red not tell you where you were going? Who are you meeting?” Clarice asked amused.

“He didn’t tell me anything.” Lizzie explained.

“That’s Red, always the cryptic. Not unlike someone else I know, though.” Clarice said and Lizzie could swear she winked at her. “Now, my dear, I’m sure you’re very tired from the trip. I’ll leave you to rest and I’m sure that Red will explain everything later. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some things to do before my husband returns.” She said and returned downstairs, not leaving Lizzie the chance to reply.

Lizzie returned to her room since the shower was still running and couldn’t go and question Red. When she stepped inside she realized that the bed occupied the most of the room, just like a normal guest room. She was secretly disappointed; she half expected chains and torture objects. She was in a serial killer’s house after all. Lizzie paced around the room and stopped just in front of a small closet. On top of it, next to a beautiful vase of flowers, was a note.

“Lizzie, I took the liberty of acquiring some clothes for you. It’s not much, and I don’t know if they even fit well, but we can go shopping soon anyways. Clarice.” 

Lizzie stood holding the small note for a while. A million questions came to her mind and she hoped Red would finish showering soon enough. Just a few days ago, she thought that the future could only bring more cases from Red, but now, the future would bring shopping with a serial killer’s… wife? 

She let the note fall on the floor while she collapsed onto the bed exhausted. She would have fallen asleep if it weren’t for the loud knock on the door.

“Come in.” She managed to say as she got up on the bed to lean on the headboard. 

“Lizzie, I trust that you’re comfortable?” Red asked as he closed the door behind him.

“Red! What is this? Why did you bring me here? Is she really Clarice Starling?” she ignored his question and got up from the bed to face him.

“Lizzie! My dear, one question at the time, please.” Red smiled and he lowered himself on the sofa next to the door.

“Ok, then, Why did you bring me here?” she asked as she sat next to him on the sofa. She was facing him.

“Because this is the safest choice right now.” He explained as he turned to look at her.

“Safest? Red, he is a serial killer!”

“I am a killer too, Lizzie. You know that.” His voice was just a whisper.

“But this is different. He… ate his victims.” Lizzie tried to reason with him.

Red seemed amused at the thought. “Yes, I never quite understood that, but I still trust him. He’s one of my oldest friends and while you’re here, nothing will ever happen to you.” He assured her as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Friend? Red, he’s freaking Hannibal Lecter. Does he even understand the concept of friendship? I read what happened to Will Graham, to Clarice…”

“Did you, now? And what is that? What happened to Clarice?” he asked in a mockery tone.

“Her body was never found…” she told him.

“So you think the woman downstairs is…?” Red asked amused.

“I know it’s her, but he must have done something to her.” Lizzie tried to find the reason behind Clarice’s appearance there. She couldn’t understand what someone was doing with someone like him. Back home, everybody presumed he killed her then he got rid of the body because he was in love with her and she wouldn’t return the feelings.

“Lizzie, I assure you, he wouldn’t touch a hair on that woman’s head. He loves her deeply.” He tried to make her understand.

Lizzie let that go; she could never understand the situation. “Red, was he ever on the list? Was he ever going to be?” 

“I think you know the answer to that question, my dear Lizzie.” He told her and she knew the answer; he would never betray his friend. Lizzie couldn’t help wonder how many other dangerous friends he had that weren’t on the list.

“How many others?” she simply asked and she stood up, her back facing him.

“Two or three.” He replied sincerely. 

Lizzie sighed. She expected more, but it was possible he was lying. “How long do we need to stay here?”

“I couldn’t say. We’ll just have to wait and see how things develop.”

“Are they… married?” Clarice asked as she remembered her referring to him as her husband.

“Yes, they are. It was a lovely ceremony. ” Red smiled at the thought.

“Did you attend?” Lizzie asked surprised.

“You weren’t paying attention, my dear. I told you he is one of my oldest friends. Of course I wanted to be there for him.” 

“Do they know who I am? What I am?” Lizzie asked a moment later, not wanting to imagine Clarice and Hannibal Lecter’s wedding.

“Yes.”

“Aren’t they worried? Worried that I might tell somebody where are they?”

“Should they be?” Red asked slowly in his deep voice.

Lizzie thought about it. The Lizzie she remembered would have ran to the F.B.I the moment she discovered the truth, but now, she was having serious doubts. She was sure that her time spent with Red changed her way of thinking and she wasn’t sure that it was a good thing.


End file.
